Life and Death
by Tamora
Summary: After Ron died defending his best friends, Harry finally brings up the courage to face Voldemort alone and defeats him. Now how is life going to be after his parents' revenge? Can he and Hermione help each other to deal with Ron's death?
1. Chapter 1

Life and Death 

Ron died defending Harry's and Hermione's lifes and thus making it possible for Harry to finally bring up the courage to face Voldemort alone and making an end to the Dark Lord's second reign of terror.

How is life going to be for the ones who survived? Especially Harry and Hermione? 

How do they cope with the death of their friend?

And what happens to the rest of the Weasley family? 

_Go on reading, if you want to find out..._

_(story takes place after OotP, so spoilers possible!!)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the HP book series nor any of the characters - but there's no use sueing me, I do not own much money either!!_

First Chapter 

It was a wonderful autumn afternoon - the sun was shining brightly, streaks of golden light penetrating through the red and brown leaves of the many trees standing in the cemetery just behind the Angel Hearts' church.

A young woman is standing in front of a tombstone, her bushy brown hair gently moving the the autumn breeze. Everything around her seems to be so peaceful and calm, but a look into her face would reveal to the bystander a mixture of grieve, sadness and anger.   
  
It would be Ron's 19th birthday today - "would be...if he just didn't have to act the hero", Hermione thought bitterly.   
  
Ron died in the attempt to save her live, hers and the live of Harry, their best friend. Though, sometimes - no, not sometimes but most of the time, Hermione wished, that he didn't. Why couldn't he let her die instead?? Then, at least, it wouldn't be her who had to suffer from this terrible lost... Why did he always have to let her get so upset? He was always like this, never considering what other people would feel like, if he did what he did...   
  


  
~*~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~

"Oh...you are such a bloody git, Ronald Weasley!!!", Hermione shouted from the top of her lungs.

"But....but, Merlin's beard, what have I done? I didn't say anything, Hermione", Ron shouted back at her.

This was one of their regular shouting duels, Ron and Hermione have been acting like this ever since their first day at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the fact that they were already in their seventh (-and last) year didn't change much about that. None of the Hogwarts' students walking by even turned to see what all the noise was about.

That is, no one turned around until a third voice suddenly started penetrating the ancient halls of the wizarding school.

"Mr. Weasley!! ... Miss Granger!!". 

  
Twenty minutes later Harry met his two best friends in the Great Hall for lunch, both of them looked infuriated and none would speak to the other. Hermione and Ron sat at the lower end of the Gryffindor table and there was a space left between them, where Harry sat down and began loading food onto his plate. 

He could feel both of his neighbours throwing glances at him, but still not uttering a single word. Harry knew they both probably expected him to ask what had happened, but he wasn't quite sure, if he wanted to know at all. "Okay, let me think about this", Harry silently told himself, "I really don't care what they are quarrelling about again, it just feds me up, that they seem to be constantly having a go at each other. I mean, what's wrong with them??.....on the other hand, the _are _my best friends...." 

"Okay, okay, now would anyone tell me, what happened? Hermione?" 

"Well, Harry, why don't you ask _Mr. Weasley_ how he managed to get the two of us into detention??", Hermione replied in a dangerously hissing voice, throwing a horribly dirty look at Ron. 

Blushing Ron replied, adressing Harry, "Oh no, Harry, it wasn't me who got us into detention! Maybe you should ask _her_ who it was who kept shouting until McGonagall came after us??" 

"Hm, let me think... this would be YOU, Ron??", Hermione - equally blushing - snapped in Ron's direction before Harry could say anything. 

"What d'you mean, ME???" 

So it went on and on, both their voices ever rising until their transfiguration teacher Minerva McGonagall came rushing down from the teachers' table towards them, still in a towering temper, her thin lips as straight as if drawn with a ruler. 

"I thought I've made my point quite clear to you, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger? This is a school building, and whatever differences two you have, we are not interested in witnessing your discussions here. You are going to meet me at my office in half an hour to be given your tasks for tonight's detention. And now, I don't want to hear one single word from any of you, understand?". 

McGonagall turned and left Ron and Hermione, both displaying a deep purple face coloring which even uncle Vernon would have been proud of. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione couldn't help but smile at the tought of that night, the look of anger and sadness that she was wearing so often nowadays momentarily left her delicate features. She had been quarrelling with Ron about some long forgotten stupid issue and McGonagall had given them detention. They had had to help Filch cleaning up the classrooms in the second and third floor. It wasn't at all fun, cleaning up the mess hundreds of Hogwarts' students had left during the day's classes, having this slave driver Filch round one's neck.

But eventually Filch left them alone in Professor Binns' history of magic classroom, it was the last room they had to do, and Filch was summoned by Professor Sprout, who had discovered Peeves hiding in a wardrobe in the teacher's room obviously planning mischief of some sort.

The memory of what happened afterwards still made Hermione experience a strange warm feeling in her stomach. After all, that was the night, where she and Ron had shared their first kiss... Altough the startled and rather embarrassed look in Ron's face after their kiss had resulted in the fact that the two didn't become a couple for another two weeks or so. But nevertheless, in the end, they _did_ become a couple and later on even lovers...

As Harry Potter, the famous 'Boy-Who-Lived', approached his friend Hermione, he was suprised to see her face enlightened with a small smile and he also noticed that she was softly stroking her tummy with one hand. He hadn't seen her smile much recently and he found that it relieved him to see her smile like this. It was not just that he had feared for her sanity after what happened to Ron, but Harry had the feeling, that seeing Hermione smile would make it easier for himself to try to forget his own terrible loss.

Harry had already expected to see Hermione at the graveyard. After all it was Ron's birthday - and he also knew that she had something very important to tell Ron.

_End of chapter 1_

Hi everyone out there, this is my very first fanfic, so I hope you like it!!

Please read and review - tell me what you like and what I can do to make it even better..


	2. Chapter 2

_First of all, I'd like to thank all my reviewers - I'm glad you liked the beginning of my fic... well, I'll try to update every few days, but I can't promise with homework and exams coming up..._

_Disclaimer: as always, I own nothing..._

**Chapter 2**

Harry had already expected to see Hermione at the graveyard. After all it was Ron's birthday - and he also knew that she had something very important to tell Ron.

"Hermione?"

Hermione turned around, surprised to hear the familiar voice of the closest friend she now had left. This thought always pained her, she had not only lost her lover, but also one of her best friends, and she knew that no one would ever be able to fill up the empty space Ron had left in her heart. But of course she was happy to see Harry. 

The two of them had spent a lot of time together lately, most of the time talking about their school days, reminding themselves of the fun they had together, in the attempt to bring back a little of the cheerfulness in their lifes. Both had the feeling that, with Ron gone forever, they were the more depending on the others mutual help and support. So, this was why Harry was the only person who already knew about Hermione's little secret. She had told him not to tell anyone about it, not even the Weasleys.

"Oh.... Harry. How long have you been standing there?" Hermione gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek and turned back to Ron's grave. The tombstone was very plain, with an inscription on it reading:

_Ronald Weasley_

_beloved child, brother and friend_

"....and _father_, Ron... Can you hear me, Ron?? You are going to be a father ...." Hermione spoke in a barely audible wisper, her voice sounded strange and when Harry placed his hand gently on her shoulder, he could feel that she was shaking with the effort of suppression her sobs. Tears were streaming down her face again.

It hurt Harry in the heart to see Hermione like this.

"No....no, Hermione. Please stop crying." Harry tried comforting her, but although he had seen her crying a lot in the last few weeks, he still couldn't bare watching her face with all those tears running down her cheeks. He felt awkwardly helpless when this happened, and never knew what to say. What are you supposed to tell a girl who has just lost her boyfriend and was sobbing into her robes? Harry had the feeling that he would never know the answer to this question.

Luckily, Hermione quickly composed herself again.

"I'm really sorry, Harry. I...I sometimes just...I often have the feeling that I am falling into pieces, Harry...I don't know how I can go on without Ron....I would...if it wasn't for the baby... I think I would just..." Hermione sighed heavily, "I feel like I'm not the same person anymore - without Ron..."

"I know what you mean," Harry interrupted her, "but we have to go on. We have to live our lives. Ron would be very unhappy, if he could see you like this, you know?"

Hermione nodded, tears welling up in her eyes again.

Harry thought hard about a way to distract her mind from those dark feelings. Checking his watch, he said "Look, it's getting late already, we should go, the Weasleys are awaiting us."

From the scared look in Hermiones eyes, he could immediately see, that this was probably not the right thing to say to calm her down. 

"Hmm.... well, you go. It's okay, I wanna stay here with Ron a little longer." Hermione wouldn't look at him.

"What is wrong, Hermione?"

"Nothing....really, I just want to be with Ron... I'm really fine, I already sent an owl to Mrs. Weasley to tell her that I'm not coming. Well... you should just tell her I don't feel well, okay? Please?"

"You want me to tell the Weasleys that you are ill? Why do you want me to lie to them? Tell me what's wrong with you." 

"They wouldn't want to have me there anyways..."

Harry was utterly confused, Hermione had always been so fond of the Weasley family, and they had been equally fond of her - even before she became Ron's girlfriend. He watched Hermione biting her lip nervously, and found that she looked very young at that moment, very young and vulnerable - how could anyone not be fond of her anyways?? 

"What am I doing here?", Harry thought to himself, he was shocked about his own thoughts, "she is Ron's girlfriend." He shook his head to rid himself of this strange motion he felt.

"Of course they want you there. Why do you think they wouldn't?" was what he said out loud to Hermione, who still wore that pained expression.

And suddenly Harry seemed to understand what troubled her. Molly and Arthur Weasley had invited Hermione and himself to join them today for a dinner with the whole family. It was Ron's birthday, and they wanted the whole family to gather around the table to commemorate their youngest son. But it would also be the first time since the funeral that Harry and Hermione met Ron's parents. He had lost a good friend, but Molly and Arthur Weasley had lost their _son_. It must have been a terrible blow to them. Hermione just didn't know how to face them...

"Oh, Hermione. I know what you think, but Mr. and Mrs Weasley really want you to come. And they know that you are really sad and that you grieve for Ron. They won't blame you..."

"I know they won't blame me. They are too nice to blame me.... But....but, even if they don't, I still can't forgive myself...It was my fault, Harry. It was my fault, that Ron died."

_End of chapter 2_

_so, here you go, the second chapter is up!!! Again, I hope you enjoyed reading the fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. _

_I know this one is again ending just as the story gets interesting (*winks at _lord of the potters_*), but I promise there is more coming soon!! In the next chapter you are going to hear how Ron died - and you will have to decide if it really is Hermione's fault..._

_Please review, so I feel more motivated to keep on writing ;-)_

_No, seriously I really want to know how you like the fic and how I can improve it._


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